Events of the Month

2002-NOVEMBER

Note:

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
on Nov. 10, and

Quds Day on NOV-29 when Muslims observe a time of solidarity
with oppressed Muslim people.

Since the most serious recent mass murders and genocides of Christians
have been by Muslims, and the most serious mass murders and genocides of
Muslims have been by Christians, it is a pity that the two religions cannot
join forces and have a common day of remembrance for all victims of
religious hatred, mass murder and oppression -- regardless of their faith. 1

Events during 2002-November:

NOV-1:National American Indian Heritage Month begins today.
It was established by Congress in 1990 to honor the important contributions
made by America's Aboriginal peoples. 2

NOV-1:All Saints' Day (a.k.a. All Hallows' Day) is a holy day
when Christians in the west recall the lives of the saints. The Eastern Orthodox churches
celebrate All Saints Day in the springtime -- the Sunday after Pentecost.

NOV-2:All Souls' Day
(a.k.a. the Day of the Dead). This is a Roman Catholic day for prayer and
almsgiving in memory of ancestors who have died.
Catholics
pray for the souls of the dead, in an effort to hasten their transition from
Purgatory to Heaven.

NOV-4:
The five-day festival of Diwali begins. Also called Divali,
Dewali, Deepavali, and the Festival of Lights, it is a celebration of
good over evil, and is related to ancient stories of struggles between a
goddess and a demon. It is observed by
Hindus,
Sikhs, and
Jains. It is also the time of the New
Year according to the Vikrama calendar.

NOV-5:
This is Election Day in the U.S.

NOV-6:Ramadan begins approximately today. Its precise
beginning does not depend upon the timing of the new moon. It requires
the viewing of the crescent moon. It is a lunar month of
about 30 days. Muslims engage in prayer, fasting and meditation.

NOV-10:
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is held
yearly so that Christians can pray for fellow believers who live in
lands were there is little religious freedom. 3

NOV-11:
This is Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in
Canada - a time to recall the sacrifices made by our soldiers during
wartime and, more recently, during peacekeeping duties.
4

NOV-12:
Members of the Baha'i Faith
celebrate the Birthday of Baha'u'llah. He is the divine messenger
and the founder of the Baha'i faith.

NOV-17 is World Peace day. Don Morris, a.k.a. Peaceguy,
conceived of this observance in 1997. 6 At least eight
other peace days have been proposed. 7

NOV-18:
The annual National Bible Week starts in the U.S. It has been
sponsored by the National Bible Association since 1941. Everyone
is encouraged to read the Bible. 4

NOV-23: Sikhs celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev.

NOV-24: National Bible Week in the U.S.
The Bible is considered
to be the Word of God by conservative Christians. Liberal Christians
generally consider it to contain the spiritual yearnings of its authors,
along with some material that opposes the will of God. The Bible remains the most purchased book in North America.
5

NOV-26:
Members of the Baha'i Faith observe theDay of the
Covenant -- the day that Baha'u'llah's son Abdul-Baha
became the Center of the Covenant.

NOV-28:
Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.

NOV-28: Members of the Baha'i Faith observe the day of
Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha, recalling the death of Abdul-Baha.

NOV-29: This is Quds Day among Muslims -- a time of
solidarity with oppressed Muslim people.

NOV-30: Christians celebrate St. Andrew's Day.

NOV-30: Jews observe Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. An
eight-candle menorah is lit in many homes.

Sponsored link:

Early in December:

DEC-2: This is the First Sunday in Advent, a.k.a. Advent
Sunday. Advent is a series of Christian
observances leading up to Christmas.

DEC-8: This is The feast of the Immaculate Conception,
celebrated by Roman Catholics. The feast is linked to
the date 1854-DEC-8, when Pope Pius IX formally defined the dogma. It is the
belief that the Virgin Mary was conceived without sin circa 20
BCE. Many people believe incorrectly that it refers
to Jesus' conception circa 5 BCE.

Although care was taken in the
preparation of this list, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or
their consequences.